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EVERYDAY SANCTUARY: THE STREET SMITH SPACE

Thank you to Liz Sunshine, Photographer and Founder of Streetsmith for using several top3 products in her recent office re-furb. We love the phoot sand love the final result - an inspiring space for her creative enevours! Thanks for sharing your results Liz!

EVERYDAY SANCTUARY: THE STREET SMITH SPACE.

[FROM THE ARTICLE ON STREETSMITH.COM.AU] ...With so much of my time spent outside shooting, the recent appalling Melbourne winter weather made the necessity for a cosy and inspirational studio space to retreat to for the inevitable office based side of Street Smith apparent. So with that in mind I recently ran headlong into finding a solution and found myself staring down the barrel of a lovely - albeit very empty - studio space in Melbourne’s Prahran area. Now, when it comes to fashion styling I am in my absolute comfort zone, yet interior styling is a whole new ball game and I have to say I found the idea of fitting out the space both intimidating and totally exciting in equal measure.

The first hurdle was deciding where to begin - an empty space can be extremely daunting!!! - so, on the advice of an interior design friend, I decided to approach the design of the space first and foremost around its function.

Essentially the space needed to do 2 things; provide a work space that accommodated the usual office based side of things, whilst also making sure the studio was a beautiful, motivating and inspirational space that I loved to be in for hours on end and invite clients into. A space that was as inviting as it was functional. It was also important that the space be very minimal in order to complement the vastly different aesthetics of Street Smith projects that are ever evolving.

THE WORK SPACEBeginning with a previously acquired minimal white desk, the design and styling around the office space area of the studio hedged on some fantastic finds at the amazing Top 3 By Design. This brand was an obvious go-to for me as their philosophy of “editing options” and “reducing excess” was what this project was aesthetically all about and also aligned remarkably with the ethos behind Street Smith. It was also important to me to work with local designers of which Top3 is an incredible platform.

I was very fortunate to find 3 of my 5 key pieces at Top3; [WE ARE GLAD THEY DID TOO!! - Terri]

The Desk Chair: Afteroom Chair in Black“An homage to Bauhaus”, The Afteroom Chair is the epitome of Swedish elegance. Its beautifully minimal design and timeless style were exactly what I was looking for in a chair that doesn’t forfeit comfort for looks. I also love the way its smooth black lines sit perfectly between the charcoal textures of the rug beneath and the minimalist white of the desk behind. This really is my perfect work chair!

The Desk Lamp: Silhouette Standard GoldDesigned by iconic Australian lighting company, Ross Gardam, this gorgeous little lamp is a playful compliment to the structured angles of the desk chair and floor lamp whilst still aesthetically drawing upon the black lines of all three pieces. Yet, with my love of textures, the brushed metal and golden warmth that this little treasure exudes brings a softness to the work space and a layer of cosiness in those long long work nights.

THE UNOFFICIAL WORK SPACE

With the Work Space element of the studio completed in its bare essentials thanks to some amazing finds at Top3 By Design, I turned my attention to what I have dubbed the “unofficial work space”. For this designated part of the studio I really wanted to create a break out zone for relaxing, researching and meeting with clients. It was very important to me that this area be aesthetically removed from the hard lines and monochromatic aesthetic of the desk space - invoking inspiration, creativity and a cocoon of stillness and comfort. Somewhere I could happily sit - tea in hand - for hours amongst my work and research, or chatting productively with a high end client.

For me, there are three key elements that I needed to find to create in actuality, the image of this space that I had in my head. A standout occasional chair, a complimentary floor lamp and a super lush floor rug.

Keeping with the bauhaus theme established by the Afteroom Chair, we once again searched the treasures of Top3 brands when searching for a floor lamp that would be able to perfectly compliment the modernist lines and theme of the work space and bring a balance to the unofficial work space by introducing a small element of this concept to that area of the studio. I found this in the Grasshopper Floor Lamp. A perfect subtle design to sit beside the elegance of the occasional chair without seeming to clash with its vastly different aesthetic.

Designed by Greta Grossman in the 40’s, this angled gem is all about functionality with its tilted tripod stand and directional lamp thanks to the ingenious ball jointed attachment where the lamp shade meets the stand. The Grasshopper lamp is one of those design pieces that proves that function really can define a beautifully resolved design aesthetic. This is a piece I can imagine having for a long long time.